THE PRAYERS OF THE FAITHFUL MINISTRY: Leaning on the Pillar of Prayer

Most of us have heard Fr. Peyton’s long-cherished saying, “The family that prays together, stays together.” These wise words can also be applied to parish family life as “The parish family that prays together, stays together.”

Thanks to the Prayers of the Faithful Ministry, our parish family is indeed praying together, and remaining unified in heart and spirit because of it.

“I think it is important that the members of this ministry draft these prayers each week to be read at Mass, as opposed to someone in the parish office just doing so,” says Deacon John Hinkel, who coordinates the ministry. “We are calling upon members of the community to write these prayers for the benefit of everyone. It gives us a broader perspective to look at and pray from.”

This ministry is run by a committee of about eight people who volunteer to write the Prayers of the Faithful. Deacon Hinkel allocates a month or two to each volunteer, including himself, for which they will be responsible to write out the prayers. He then arranges the assignments on a calendar and gives the calendars out to the volunteers.

When writing the prayers, the volunteers integrate the following intentions — for the Church; for those in authority; for our parish community; for civil authorities; and for the deceased, particularly those from our parish who have recently died.

“We also offer prayers for particular needs, such as for a successful end to the pandemic,” Deacon Hinkel says. “In addition, there is a prayer to be offered at every weekend Mass for the specified Mass intentions that have been given to the parish office. There are also resources that they can draw from which highlight a particular theme for that Sunday.”

Having worked with this ministry for a few years, Deacon Hinkel is impressed with the dedication he has seen.

“I was ordained in 2016, and about a year later, the deacon who had been heading it up asked me to take it over,” he says. “The people who write the prayers are very reliable and have been doing it for a long time. This ministry helps them reflect on what sort of needs there are in our parish, community, and world, allowing them to be more sensitive to them, as well.”

Ultimately, the Prayers of the Faithful Ministry helps our parish family embrace the stewardship vision in a meaningful way.

“One of the stewardship pillars is prayer, and this ministry helps us live it out,” Deacon Hinkel says. “It is a great ministry because you can do it in your own home, whenever you get a chance to. It gives people an opportunity to serve, who may not be able to get out and physically serve somewhere outside of their homes.”

This ministry takes on a new significance during the Lenten season, during which our community is called upon to be deeply dedicated to intercession. Let us pray that Our Lord will guide those who volunteer their time to this ministry.

If you would like more information, please call or text Deacon John Hinkel at 859-806-3672 or email him at jhinkel@cdlex.org.

Deacon John Hinkel